Method of making a flanged valve housing



Nov. 9, i937. J. H. TAYLOR 2,098,318

METHOD 0F' MAKING A FLANGED VALVE HOUSING Filed oct. 2, 1935 4 sheets-sheet 2 Nov. 9, 1937.

J. H. TAYLOR METHOD 0F MAKING A FLANGED VALVE HOUSING Filed OC. 2, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 9, 1937 UNITED STATS,

PAT E NT OF [CE1 METHOD .OF-MAKING A ELANGED :VALVE-. HOUSING:Y

4 Claims.

This 'invention relates to valve housings, and has todo" with a-valve housing, such as a gate valve housing, provided at its ends with bolting flanges: for bolting vto pipe ends.

In general,- my invention'is vdirected to a Valve housing offsimple construction, light weight and adequateemechanical strength,` provided at its endswith boltingflanges, and to a method for producing the housing expeditiously and at low l costi'V Further objects and advantages of my inventionfwillappear from the detail description.

Figure 1 is a sectional'yiew-through two cooperating dies and a partially for-medblank therebetween, illustrating a preliminary step in forging one -of the sections of Vthe housing vin-accorclance withthe method-of myvinvention;

-Figure 2 is-a sectional `View through the blank of Figure 'l andra die'and a cooperating extruding punch illustrating a succeeding step in the method of my invention;

Figure 3 :isazsectionalview through a pair of upper forming dies .and a lower supporting block illustrating a further step of vthe method of my invention, the-partiallyformed `blank being `shown in sectionnand certain .parts being shown in elevation;

.Figure ely is a sectional` viewthrough an upper pair of `forming dies andalower forming die, il-

lustratinga succeeding step -in the method of my inventionthe guide stembeingshown in eleva tion; Y

Figure 5 is a sectional View througha pair of upper forming dies anda lower die, showing the 5 useof the V.cuttingdie for removing the metal from the closed end of the partially formed Valve housing section, the guide stem andthe cutting die Vbeing shown in elevation;

Figure 6 -is a fragmentary sectional View taken substantially on line .6 6 of Figure `3;

Figure 7 is a sectional viewtaken substantially on `line l-'l lof Figure 4, on a reduced scale Figure 8 .is a central lengthwise sectional View through a valve housing produced in accordance 4.5 withmy invention;

Figure 9 is an end- View, partly broken away and in section, of a completed Yvalve structure ernbodyingmyinvention, this View being on a reduced. scale.

o0 In my copending application for Valve housing` and method of makingl same, Serial No. 17,655, led.Apri1 22, 1935, now Patent Number 2,065,035-, granted-December. 22, 1936, I have dis- Cil closed a'valvefhousing .formed of two sectionsv the housing -beingwelded togetheron themedian, transverse plane of-the housing Theinstant in- Vention is directed to va valve housing. similar to that of .my co-pending. application, but provider'v with end boltingiianges/whereby the ends of. the 1 s housing may be vbolted* to .flanged pipe ends The Valve housing-is formed in two comple-A mentary sectionswhichdivide the housingiatvthe mediantransverse plane `thereof .and are welded together attheirinner ends... Preferably,.the sec-n l0 tions. of the housing are formedby forgingfrom steel or. other .metal suitable. forthe purpose.. A billet of suitable size is .iirst .forgedto produce a cup-like blank c frornwhich projects .a flange a .inclined transversely. of theblankfas .shownin l5 A Figure l. 'Ihis is accomplished by suitably shaped cooperating upper and lower dies b and d,.respec tively,; havingA relative movement one toward and away -fromthe other, the.-upper die conveniently beingathe movable die.V The-recess .formed in 20 blank c .flares upward, as shown in.Fig'ure 1, and. the portion ofrthe blank below thisrecess-forms amass of'metal-of considerably greater height than the depth of the recess,.the billet from which the blank is formed beingof suitable size for this 25 purpose.V y

Blank c, formedas. above described, is then 1 placed in a Vcooperating,..recess in a die. aand a cylindrical extruding punch f of 'less diameter. thanLthe upper. portion of. thereoess Yin blank/c, 30 is inserted downward into the blank c, the latter being so disposed thatthe punche is in contact with and parallelto the. side*` of the recess of the blank adjacent the -upper portion of flange` a, asl

shown in Figure 2. Thedie e of. Figure 2 may be 35 f the die d vof .Figure 1, positioned as in Figure 2j or it may beanother die'. The punch f is then moved downward into the blank so as to extrude the metal thereof `upward alonglpunch f, between thelatter and the conriingwall of the recess of 40;

die e,.as shown in Figure 2.'I In this manner, the.. blanke is extended so as toproduce a relatively elongatedV hub h, the upper portion of which, at one side. thereof, lis inclined upward and outward away from punch f, as shown, .the .upperI end."of'-45.`

considerable depth.

The blank shown in Fig-ure 2 is'then'acted. upon.' by upper. and lower dies lc and respectivelygin such'manner as .to shape flange a to form one'- half..of..the body, ofv .the desired housing, as in' Figures 3 and 6." The upper die lchas a'depen'd- 55 ing guide stem o of a size to t within hub h of the blank, when the dies are closed, and the lower die m is in the form of a split die comprising two sections semi-circular in plan, as shown in Figure '7, these sections being moved toward and away from each other by suitable known means. When the sections of die m are closed, this die ts snugly about hub h of the blank and effectively connes the latteragainst radial distortion, in conjunction with the guide stem o, during forming of the fiange a; to desired shape. During this operation, die mrests upon a lower block p provided therethrough with an opening r of a size to accommodate the lower portion of the blank including the mass of metal g.

After the blank has been formed as in Figure 3, block p is replaced by a bottom die s provided in its upper face with a cylindrical recess t disposed concentric with hub h of the blank, and the mass of metal g is then smashed down by moving the dies lc and m, together with the guide stern o and the intervening blank, as a unit, toward the bottom die s.. The mass of metal g is thus spread radially in the recess t so as to form an annular flange 'u projecting radially outward from hub h of the blank, and a disc w which closes the lower end of the hub. Bottom die sis then replaced by a die a: having a constriction y of the same diameter as the interior of hub h of the blank and an opening e of greater diameter than and extending downward from constriction y, Die is disposed so that flange 'o of the blank seats in recess t in the upper face of this die, constriction y and opening .a of die m being disposed coaxially with hub h of the blank and guide stem o. The dies k and m are then separated sufficiently to withdraw stem o from the blank and permit introduction of a cutting disc or die i into the hub h, after which the dies lc and m are again closed, conveniently by moving die k downward toward die m, the latter die and the blank being supported by the bottom die In this second closing of the dies, stem o contacts cutting die i, forcing the latter downward and thereby cutting disc w from the lower end of hub h, as in Figure 5. This completes the housing section, except as to the removal of such flash metal as may remain on the flange v or other portions'of the housing section.

I provide two housing sections I, produced as above, each of which constitutes one-half of the valve housing and which, in the completed housing, are welded together at their inner ends, the line of weld corresponding to the transverse median plane of the housing. Each of the sections I comprises a tubular hub 2 having at its outer end an integral flange 3 for bolting to a cooperating flange of a pipe end, and a flange 4, adjacent the inner end of the hub, formed integrally therewith and shaped to provide one-half 5 of the body of the housing. Each section l also comprises an integral valve seat element 6 which projects inward beyond flange 4 and is disposed at a downward and inward inclination to the hub, as in Figure 8.

The end of each of the seat elements 6 constitutes a valve seat to which I apply a wear and corrosion resistant surface 6a, this surface being in the form of a layer of a metal or alloy resistant to wear and, where necessary, corrosion, such as Stellite, which is welded onto the seat. The layer 6a is then surfaced and finished preliminary to securing together of the sections of the housing.

After sections I of the housing have been com.- pleted,'in the above manner, they are disposed in endwise alignment with the inner edges of flanges 4, which are beveled at 4a, closely adjacent each other and dening therebetween a V-shaped welding trough. The housing sections are then welded together and, at the same time, valve guide strips 1 are secured, by the same welding operation, to the inner faces of the sides of the housing, these guide strips being accurately positioned and held, in a suitable manner, during the welding operation.

After the sections I have been thus welded together, a ring 8, comprising a bolting flange 9, is welded to the upper end of the body of the housing, at I0, the adjacent end of the ring and the housing body being beveled to define a V- shaped welding trough or groove, as shown. The

housing can be produced in this manner with expedition and facility, and is particularly suitable for bolting to flanged pipe ends.

After the housing has been completed in the manner above described, a bonnet II is bolted upon flange 9 with a suitable gasket therebetween. A valve stem I2 screws through the head of bonnet II and operates through a suitable stufling box in the lower portion of the bonnet, in a known manner. The lower end of stem I2 is attached to a gate valve I3 of known type, in a. known manner, for relative rotation for raising and lowering the latter. A hand wheel I4 is suitably secured upon the upper end of the valve stem, and the valve I3 is provided with guides I5 which iit about the guide strips 'l for guiding the valve during operation thereof.

What I claim isz- 1. The method of producing a valve housing, which comprises forging a cup-shaped blank comprising a tubular hub provided at its upper end with an integral continuous valve seat, a housing body element extending upward beyond said seat, and a metal mass depending from the lower end of said hub, smashing down said metal mass whileconning said hub against radial distortion and thereby forming an integral bolting flange extending circumferentially of the lower end of the hub and a disc closing the lower end of said hub, removing said disc and thereby completing one housing section, and disposing two housing sections so produced in endwise alignment and welding them together on approximately the transverse median plane of the resulting housing with said flanges at the ends of the housing.

2. The method of producing a valve housing, which comprises forging a housing section comprising a hub open at its upper end and closed at its lower end by a body of metal of considerable mass, smashing down said body of metal while confining said hub against distortion thereby forming at the lower end of said hub an integral circumferential bolting ange and a disc closing the lower end of said hub, removing said disc thereby completing the housing section, and disposing two housing sections so produced in endwise alignment and welding them together on approximatelyY the transverse median plane of the resulting housing with said flanges at the ends thereof.

3. The method of producing a valve housing, which comprises forging a housing section comprising a hub open at its upper end and closed at its lower end by a body of metal of considerable mass, smashing down said body of metal thereby forming at the lower end of said hub an integral circumferential bolting flange and opening said lower end of said hub, thereby completing the housing section, and disposing two housing sections so produced in endwise alignment and Welding them together on approximately the transverse median plane of the resulting housing with said flanges at the ends thereof.

4. 'I'he method of producing a valve housing, which comprises forging a housing section comprising a tubular hub portion having a skirt at one end and a mass of metal at the other end,

10 confining said hub and skirt so as to present a die surface surrounding said hub in proximity to said mass of metal, smashing said mass of metal against said die surface While conning it so as to form a flange on said hub portion, and disposing two housing sections so produced in endwise alignment and welding them together on approximately the transverse median plane of the resulting housing with said flanges at the ends thereof.

JAMES HALL TAYLOR. 

